Carbon nanofiber and method of manufacture

A carbon-based composition of one or more carbon nanofibers that include a carbon composite, wherein the carbon composite is a semi-graphitic carbon material characterized by wavy graphite planes ranging from 0.1 nm to 1.0 nm and oriented parallel to an axis of a respective carbon nanofiber, the semi-graphitic carbon material also being characterized by an inclusion of 4 to 10 atomic percent of nitrogen heteroatoms with the nitrogen heteroatoms including a combined percentage of quaternary and pyridinic nitrogen groups equal to or greater than 60% of the nitrogen heteroatoms, wherein the carbon-based composition is prepared by a process comprising the steps of:

• preparing a Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based precursor solution;
• providing the PAN-based precursor solution to a spinneret;
• performing an electro-spinning operation on the PAN-based precursor solution to create the one or more carbon nanofibers, wherein the electro-spinning operation includes passing the PAN-based precursor solution from the spinneret to a collector while providing an Alternating Current (AC) voltage between the spinneret and the collector, the AC voltage having a frequency ranging from 20 Hz to 100,000 Hz and either a Peak-to-Peak (P-P) voltage ranging from 100 V to 30,000 V or a Root-Mean-Square (RMS) voltage ranging from 100 V to 30,000 V;
• performing a post-electro-spinning operation on the one or more carbon nanofibers, the post-electro-spinning operation including a mechanical treatment and a chemical treatment;
• performing a stabilizing treatment on the one or more carbon nanofibers, the stabilizing treatment including heating the one or more carbon nanofibers;
• and
• after performing the post-electro-spinning operation and stabilizing treatment, performing a pyrolysis treatment on the one or more carbon nanofibers, the pyrolysis treatment including heating the one or more carbon nanofibers in an inert atmosphere containing less than 1% oxygen.